Named after Thespis of Icaria, believed to be the first actor in Greek drama (6th century BC), the day-long event 'Thespis' saw screening of 28 independent plays at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Art.
Organised by theatre group 'Vriksh', the festival marks the debut of the micro-drama concept in India.
Talking about the concept, theatre director and actor Ajith G Maniyan told PTI that despite being a fresh idea, they received good response from theatre groups and individuals.
Out of the 42 entries, 25 plays in 10 different languages including Kashmiri, Rajasthani, Urdu, Punjabi among others were selected for the festival.
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The beauty of this form of theatre, Maniyan said, lies in the fact that the brevity of the productions allows the audience to interpret a play in their own way.
"When someone is making a play for 10 minutes or shorter, they don't have time to conclude it in a traditional way. This form leaves the interpretation to the public," Maniyan said.
The plays were also awarded in several categories including 'Best Drama', 'Best Drama (Audience Poll)', 'Best Director, Script, Actor, Actress, and Technician.
The jury comprised of a panel of eminent theatre and cinema personalities including Madhavi Menon, Smita Bharti, Antony Charles, Sohaila Kapur, and Priyanandanan.
Talking about the need for such plays, particularly in the current technology dominated era, Menon said at a time "when television and the Internet have occupied the larger part of a day, short dramas can help to bring people back to theatres".